Thanks Martha.......

I forgot to tell you in the last post, but on that wonderful birthday of mine, my mother got me an array of gifts (most of them having to do with the Wizard of Oz), apart from one. Martha Stewart's Cupcakes, a book I had been eying up for a while and finally got. Days passed from my birthday, as I was constantly paging through this cook book for something to make. A Saturday morning came, and I hadn't baked anything in the past couple of days, so of course I had to do something. With over 175 cupcake recipes it was slightly overwhelming, all those choices. But I came to a decision (finally). It was the morning so I had chose to make Streusel Cupcakes, almost like a mini little coffee cake for only your indulgence. The recipe follows:
Martha's Streusel Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups sour cream
• Streusel topping (recipe follows)
• Milk Glaze (recipe follows)

1-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
2-With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Stir in vanilla by hand. Add flour mixture and sour cream; stir until just combined.
3-Divide batter evenly among lined cups. Sprinkle half topping over the cupcakes, gently pressing it into the batter. Sprinkle evenly with remaining topping. Bake, rotating tins half way through, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.
4- To finish, place cupcakes on a wire rack set over a baking sheet; drizzle evenly with milk glaze. Glazed cupcakes can be stored up to 3 days at room temperature in airtight containers.

Streusel Topping

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 2 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

Whisk together flour, dark brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt; cut in the butter using a pastry blender, your fingertips, or two table knives until combined but still crumbly. Refrigerate 30 minutes before use.

Milk Glaze

• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 3 tablespoons milk

Whisk together ingredients until smooth. Use immediately.

Makes 24 Cupcakes.